JPH06332143A - Thermal processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To heat a material to be thermally processed such as a photosensitive material while oxygen is shut-off. CONSTITUTION:A heating plate 30 which is formed in a circular-arc state and whose central part projects upward in a figure is arranged at a position along a carrying path between carrying rollers 22 and 24. A heater 32 is installed on the inside of the plate 30 and connected to a power source positioned outside. Then, the plate 30 is heated. Besides, an endless belt 38 formed of a material which is not provided with permeability is laid on the surface 30B of the plate 30 and rotated in a direction shown by an arrow D. Therefore, a printing plate 14 is heated in a state where it is covered with the belt 38 while it is pressed by the tensile force of the belt 38 and oxygen is shut-off.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus which heats and heat-treats a material to be heat-treated, and is applicable to a heat developing apparatus which heat-develops a photosensitive material, a printing plate and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a light-sensitive material in which a photosensitive curable layer containing a silver halide, a reducing agent, a polymerizable compound and a color image forming substance is provided on a support is disclosed in JP-B-3-123.
08 (US Pat. No. 4,629,676) is known and known.

According to the image forming method described in this publication,
After the latent image of silver halide is formed by imagewise exposure, the polymerizable compound in the portion where the latent image is formed is cured by heating, thereby fixing the color image forming substance, and then the uncured portion is fixed. By removing, a color image is formed on the photosensitive material. Alternatively, after fixing the color image forming substance, the photosensitive material is pressed together with the image receiving material, and the uncured portion of the color image forming substance is transferred to the image receiving material to form a color image on the image receiving material.

On the other hand, a method of curing a polymerizable compound in a portion where a latent image of silver halide is not formed is disclosed in JP-A-62-7.
No. 0836. In addition, JP-A-61-1
Japanese Patent Publication No. 275742 (US Pat. No. 4,912,011) describes a photosensitive material containing microcapsules. The light-sensitive material containing the microcapsules is advantageously used in a method of transferring a color image-forming substance onto an image-receiving material.

On the other hand, the photosensitive material can also be used as a printing plate by forming the polymer image formed on the photosensitive material as the printing plate surface. In this case, Japanese Patent Application 1-28
As described in US Pat. No. 5,122,443, it is preferable to separate the photosensitive curable layer into a photosensitive layer containing silver halide and a curable layer containing a polymerizable compound. Although not directly involved in image formation, it is preferable to color the photosensitive curable layer or the curable layer with a pigment in order to visualize the polymer image.

As described above, by heating these photosensitive materials and subjecting them to heat development, the polymerizable compound is polymerized and cured to form an image. As it is disturbed, it is necessary to block oxygen and air containing oxygen to heat. As a method for blocking oxygen and the like, it is difficult to pass oxygen to the photosensitive curable layer side uppermost layer of the photosensitive material, for example, polyvinyl alcohol or the like is added, or an oxygen blocking layer containing polyvinyl alcohol or the like as a main component is further provided. The method is known.

[0007]

However, in the heat development treatment, the oxygen blocking layer alone cannot sufficiently block oxygen, and further, it is not disclosed in JP-A-4-240643 and JP-A-61-18951. In such a publication, there are a type in which a photosensitive material is set and heated in an oven, a type in which a photosensitive material is conveyed and heated in a room in which hot air is circulated, a slot waveguide type, an electric heating type and a heating plate type. Although each heating means is disclosed, none of the heating means has a structure capable of blocking oxygen during heating.

For this reason, during the heat development treatment, there are cases in which the formation of a good image cannot be formed on the light-sensitive material due to the obstruction of oxygen and the inhibition of polymerization.

In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of heating a heat-treated material such as a photosensitive material while blocking oxygen.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat treatment apparatus, wherein a heating plate is located along a conveyance path of a material to be heat-treated and is moved, and a front surface side facing the material to be heat-treated is projected in an arc shape. A heating source installed on the heating plate and heating the material to be heat treated through the surface of the heating plate, and a material to be heat treated are sandwiched between the surface of the heating plate to cover the material to be heat treated and And an endless belt that rotates according to conveyance.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat treatment apparatus, wherein a heating plate is disposed along a conveyance path of a material to be heat-treated and moved, and a material to be heat-treated is installed on the heating plate and the surface of the heating plate is used to heat the material to be heat-treated. A heating source for heating,
An endless belt that sandwiches the material to be heat-treated with the surface of the heating plate to cover the material to be heat-treated and rotates according to the conveyance of the material to be heat-treated; Fluid pressure generating means for spraying the endless belt and pressing the endless belt toward the material to be heat treated.

[0012]

The operation of the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 will be described below.

When the material to be heat-treated conveyed and moved is introduced between the heating plate and the endless belt while the endless belt is rotated, the material to be heat-treated is sandwiched between the endless belt and the surface of the heating plate. The material to be heat treated is moved while covering the material to be heat treated. With the movement of this heat treated material,
The heat source heats the material to be heat-treated through the surface of the heating plate, and the material to be heat-treated is heat-treated.

At this time, since the surface side of the heating plate located along the conveyance path of the material to be heat-treated is formed to project in an arc shape, the endless belt is pressed by the material to be heat-treated due to the tension of the endless belt. Adheres to the material to be heat treated, and the material to be heat treated is pressed by the heating plate, so that the heat transfer property from the heating plate side to the material to be heat treated is enhanced.

The operation of the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2 will be described below. Similarly to claim 1, when the material to be heat-treated which is conveyed and moved while the endless belt is being rotated is introduced between the heating plate and the endless belt, the material to be heat-treated is formed between the endless belt and the surface of the heating plate. The material to be heat-treated is moved while sandwiching it to cover the material to be heat-treated. Along with the movement of the heat-treated material, the heat source heats the heat-treated material via the surface of the heating plate, and the heat-treated material is heat-treated.

At this time, the fluid pressure generating means, which faces the heating plate via the endless belt, blows the fluid onto the endless belt to press the endless belt toward the heat treated material.
The fluid pressure presses the endless belt against the material to be heat-treated to bring the endless belt into close contact with the material to be heat-treated, and the material to be heat-treated is pressed against the heating plate to enhance heat transfer from the heating plate side to the material to be heat-treated.

As described above, according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the heat-treated material sandwiched between the surface of the heating plate and the endless belt is heated by the heating source while being shielded from the outside air. Thus, for example, when the invention of claims 1 and 2 is adopted for the heat development treatment of a photosensitive material or a printing plate that is contacted with oxygen and is hindered by oxygen to inhibit polymerization, oxygen Will be blocked and the polymerization will be accelerated.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a plate making apparatus to which a heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is applied is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and this embodiment will be described with reference to these drawings.

First, a printing plate which is a photosensitive material used in the plate making apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, a printing plate 14 which is a sheet-shaped material to be heat-treated used in this embodiment.
Is a thin plate-shaped rectangular plate having a length H in the lengthwise direction and a length B in the widthwise direction, and has a thickness of about 0.3 mm formed of an aluminum material. The curable layer 18A and the photosensitive layer 18 are provided on one surface of the support substrate 16 which is a support.
The image forming layer 18 configured by sequentially stacking B and the image formation promoting layer 18C is provided to form the printing plate 14. Further, the boundary surface between the support substrate 16 and the curable layer 18A is grained to be hydrophilic.

The above layers will be described in detail below. First, the following curable layer coating liquid is applied to the surface of the supporting substrate 16,
It was dried to form a curable layer 18A having a film thickness of 1.3 μm. [Curable layer coating liquid] Dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate 2.5 g 20% by weight propylene glycol monomethyl ether solution of allyl methacrylate / methacrylic acid copolymer (copolymerization ratio = 83/17) 37.5 g Reducing agent having the following chemical formula 2.0 g Pigment dispersion below 13.0 g Methyl ethyl ketone 74.0 g Chemical formula of reducing agent

[0022]

[Chemical 1] Pigment dispersion Pigment: Chromophtal red A2B 18 g Dispersion polymer: Allyl methacrylate / methacrylic acid copolymer (copolymerization ratio = 83/17) 12 g Solvent: Cyclohexanone 30 g Propylene glycol monomethyl ether 40 g Next, the following photosensitivity The layer coating liquid was applied and dried to form a photosensitive layer 18B having a film thickness of about 1.2 μm. [Photosensitive layer coating solution] 10% by weight aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol (trade name: PVA-420, manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) having a saponification degree of 79.5% 10.5 g 0.11 of an additive represented by the following chemical formula: Weight% methanol solution 0.83 g Silver halide emulsion below 0.5 g 5% by weight aqueous solution of a surfactant having the following chemical formula 0.4 g Water 7.8 g Chemical formula of additive

[0023]

[Chemical 2] Silver Halide Emulsion After adding gelatin, potassium bromide and water to a reaction vessel heated to 55 ° C and adding an appropriate amount of ammonium, an aqueous solution of silver nitrate was added while keeping the pAg value in the reaction vessel at 7.60. , An aqueous solution of potassium bromide to which hexachloroiridium (III) salt was added so that the molar ratio of iridium to silver was 10 ⁻⁷ mol, was added by the double jet method, and a single particle having an average particle size of 0.3 μm was added. A dispersed silver bromide emulsion was prepared. Then the pH of this emulsion was 6.2, pAg
Was adjusted to 8.7 and then gold-sulfur sensitization was performed with sodium thiosulfate and chloroauric acid, and then the spectral sensitizing dye (Dy
e-1) was added and maintained at 55 ° C. for 20 minutes, and an unpost-ripened silver iodide emulsion having an average grain size of 0.08 μm was further added and stirred for 15 minutes, followed by desalting and cooling. The silver iodide content is 2 mol%, 98% of the total number of grains exists within ± 40% of the average grain size, and (100) faces / (111)
The surface ratio was about 10.

Chemical Formula of Surfactant

[0025]

[Chemical 3] Next, the following image forming accelerating layer coating liquid was applied and dried to provide an image forming accelerating layer 18C as an oxygen barrier layer having a thickness of about 3.3 μm. [Image forming acceleration layer coating solution] 100.0% by weight aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol (trade name: PVA-205, manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) having a saponification degree of 98.5% 200.0 g The following base precursor dispersion 1.25 g A 5 wt% aqueous solution of a surfactant having the following chemical formula: 4.0 g Base precursor dispersion 250 g of a base precursor powder having the following chemical formula was used as a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA-205 manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd.) using a Dynomill disperser. 3% by weight aqueous solution 750
dispersed in g. The particle size of the base precursor was about 0.5 μm or less.

Chemical Formula of Base Precursor

[0027]

[Chemical 4] Chemical formula of surfactant

[0028]

[Chemical 5] Next, the configuration of the plate making apparatus and the plate making operation of the printing plate 14 using the plate making apparatus will be described.

First, in an exposure device (not shown), an original film is brought into close contact with the image forming layer 18 side of the printing plate 14 and a band pass filter for passing light of 500 nm is interposed, and a 500 watt tungsten lamp is used. 1.
The plate is exposed for 5 seconds to obtain the exposed printing plate 14.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, on the left end side of the plate making apparatus 10 to which the present invention is applied, a heat developing section 20 which is a heat treatment apparatus is disposed surrounded by a casing 112.
As shown in FIG. 2 which is an enlarged view of the heat developing section 20, a pair of upper and lower carrying rollers 22 and 24 are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side in the carrying direction (arrow A direction) in the heat developing section 20, respectively. The transport rollers 22 and 24 are driven and rotated by driving means such as a motor (not shown). Then, a pair of upper and lower guide plates 26 and 28 for guiding the printing plate 14 are installed adjacent to the transport rollers 22 and 24, respectively.

At a position along the conveying path between the conveying rollers 22 and 24, an arcuate shape is formed as shown in FIG. A heating plate 30 is arranged. The plate length W, which is the length along the upper surface 30B of the heating plate 30, is made shorter than the longitudinal dimension H of the printing plate 14 which is the length along the transport direction (arrow A direction), and The dimension of the heating plate 30 in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2) is larger than the dimension B in the lateral direction of the printing plate 14 which is the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

Inside the heating plate 30, a heater 32 serving as a heating source, for example, a nichrome wire or the like is installed, and a power source located outside the lower surface 30A of the heating plate 30. The heater 32 is connected to a power source by heating the heating plate 30 so that the temperature of the surface 30B of the heating plate 30 is always a constant temperature (for example, 140 ° C.) (not shown). ing.

Further, on the upper part of the heating plate 30, a peripheral speed of the conveying rollers 22, 24 is set by a motor (not shown).
Rotating shafts 34 and 36, which are respectively rotated at a speed substantially equal to the peripheral speed of the conveying rollers 22 and extend so that the axial directions of the conveying rollers 22 and 24 are parallel to each other, sandwich the central portion of the heating plate 30 from each other. Two of them are arranged symmetrically with respect to each other.
6 is arranged in the vicinity of the heating plate 30 so as to contact the surface 30B of the heating plate 30.

An endless belt 38 having a widthwise dimension (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2) larger than a lateral dimension B of the printing plate 14 is an endless belt 38 having these four rotating shafts 3.
4 and 36, and along the arcuately projecting surface 30B of the heating drum 30, the arrow D
It is designed to rotate in the direction. The endless belt 38 is made of a material having elasticity and not air permeability, such as a rubber material.

Therefore, when the rotary shafts 34 and 36 are driven and rotated, the endless belt 38 is rotated accordingly, and the exposed printing plate 1 is exposed with the image forming layer 18 facing upward.
When 4 is guided by the guide plate 26 from the transport roller 22 on the upstream side, the front end side of the printing plate 14 is introduced between the surface 30B of the heating plate 30 and the endless belt 38. The printing plate 14 is sandwiched between the surface 30B of the heating plate 30 and the endless belt 38 while the image forming layer 18 is in contact with the endless belt 38 and the support substrate 16 side is in contact with the heating plate 30. In the state of being blocked from the above, the transport roller 22 slides on the surface 30B of the heating plate 30, is guided by the downstream guide plate 28, and is transported from the transport roller 24 to the downstream side in the transport direction.

Further, while being conveyed and moving on the heating plate 30, the printing plate 14 is heated from the surface 30B side of the heating plate 30 while being shielded from the outside air, so that the image forming layer 18 is cured. The exposed portion of the conductive layer 18A exposed by the tungsten lamp is cured. At this time, the side of the supporting substrate 16 slides on the heating plate 30, and the endless belt 38 rotates at the same speed as the conveying speed of the printing plate 14, so that the surface of the image forming layer 18 is not scratched.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of upper and lower cooling rollers 42 is arranged on the downstream side of the heat developing section 20 in the conveying direction of the printing plate 14, and the cooling roller 42 serves as the printing plate. While sandwiching 14 and cooling, 14 is conveyed to the elution part 44 located on the downstream side (arrow A direction side) in the conveying direction.

An elution section 44 is arranged downstream of the cooling roller 42 in the conveying direction of the printing plate 14 (direction of arrow A). A pair of upper and lower conveying rollers 56 is arranged at a position in the elution portion 44 on the upstream side in the conveying direction, and the conveying roller 56 nips and conveys the printing plate 14.

The printing plate 14 is attached to the conveying roller 56.
A spray nozzle 48 is arranged at a position facing the image forming layer 18 on the downstream side (the direction of the arrow A direction) in the transport direction, and a circulation pump 52 is connected to a lower portion of the elution unit 44 to elute. A tank 50 is provided. Therefore, the eluate in the elution tank 50 (for example, P manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
The circulation pump 52 sucks the S plate developer DP-4) and sprays it from the spray nozzle 48 onto the image forming layer 18 of the printing plate 14.

A roller-shaped brush roll 54 is provided at a position facing the image forming layer 18 on the downstream side (the arrow A direction side) in the conveying direction of the printing plate 14 with respect to the spray nozzle 48.
Are arranged. The brush roll 54 is connected to a rotation driving unit such as a motor (not shown), and the rotation driving unit rotates the brush roll 54.

A pair of upper and lower squeeze rollers 58 are arranged downstream of the brush roll 54 in the conveying direction of the printing plate 14 (direction of arrow A), and the printing plate 14 is nipped by the squeeze roller 58. Thus, the eluate adhering to the surface is removed. Further, the eluate removed by the squeeze roller 58 falls on the tray 60 installed in the elution section 44 and is collected in the elution tank 50.

A water washing section 62 is arranged downstream of the elution section 44 in the conveying direction of the printing plate 14 (direction of arrow A). A pair of upper and lower conveying rollers 70 and 72 are arranged at positions near the upstream side and the downstream side of the printing plate 14 in the water washing section 62, respectively. Are sandwiched and conveyed.

A spray nozzle 64 is arranged between the conveying rollers 70 and 72 at a position facing the image forming layer 18 of the printing plate 14, and a washing water ( For example, tap water) is stored and a water receiving tank 66 to which a circulation pump 68 is connected is provided. Therefore, the circulation pump 68 sucks the cleaning water in the water receiving tank 66 and sprays it onto the printing plate 14 from the spray nozzle 64, so that the image forming layer 18 of the printing plate 14 can be cleaned. Then, the wash water that has dropped from the printing plate 14 drops to the tray 74 installed in the water washing unit 62, and the water receiving tank 66.
Will be recovered in.

A gum solution coating section 80 is arranged downstream of the water washing section 62 in the conveying direction of the printing plate 14 (direction of arrow A). The printing plate 14 in the gum solution applying section 80
A pair of upper and lower transport rollers 90 and 92 are arranged at positions closer to the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction, and the printing plate 14 is nipped and transported by the transport rollers 90 and 92, respectively.

A spray nozzle 82 is arranged between the conveying rollers 90 and 92 at a position facing the image forming layer 18 of the printing plate 14, and a gum solution applying section 80 is provided.
A gum solution (for example, Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.)
A gum solution tank 84 for storing a PS plate gum solution GU-7) and a circulation pump 86 is provided.
Therefore, the circulation pump 86 sucks the gum solution in the gum solution tank 84 and sprays it onto the printing plate 14 from the spray nozzle 82. Then, the gum solution dropped from the printing plate 14 falls on the tray 94 installed in the gum solution application section 80 and is collected in the gum solution tank 84.

A drying unit 100 is arranged on the downstream side (direction of arrow A) in the conveying direction of the printing plate 14 with respect to the gum solution applying unit 80. A pair of upper and lower transport rollers 104 and 106 are disposed at positions in the drying unit 100, which are located upstream and downstream of the printing plate 14 in the transport direction. Are sandwiched and conveyed.

Four dryers 10 for blowing warm air to the printing plate 14 are provided between the conveying rollers 104 and 106.
2 are provided, and by these dryers 102,
The printing plate 14 after the gum treatment is dried.

A tray 110 for accumulating the printing plates 14 is arranged at the right end side of the plate making apparatus 10 which is the downstream side (the direction of arrow A) in the conveying direction of the printing plates 14 with respect to the drying section 100. The printing plate 14 after drying is sent to the tray 110 by the carrying roller 106.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. A light beam corresponding to the image on the original film is applied to the surface of the image forming layer 18 from a tungsten lamp of an exposure device (not shown). As a result, a latent image of silver halide corresponding to image information is formed on the image forming layer 18 of the printing plate 14.

Exposed printing plate 14 on which a latent image is formed
By an operator or a carrier device (not shown)
The plate making apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is loaded into the heat developing section 20 from the left end side.

When the printing plate 14 is loaded while the endless belt 38 is driven and rotated, the printing plate 14 is introduced between the heating plate 30 and the endless belt 38 from the upstream side in the conveying direction. It will be. As a result, the endless belt 3
8 is a printing plate 1 between the heating plate 30 and the surface 30B.
The printing plate 14 is sandwiched by 4 to cover the printing plate 14,
Are moved, and along with the movement of the printing plate 14, the heater 32 heats the printing plate 14 via the surface 30B of the heating plate 30, and the printing plate 14 is heat-developed.

At this time, since the surface 30B side of the heating plate 30 located along the conveying path of the printing plate 14 is formed to project in an arc shape, the tension of the endless belt 38 causes the endless belt 38 to print. While being pressed by 14, the endless belt 38 comes into close contact with the printing plate 14 and the printing plate 1
4 is pressed by the heating plate 30 to enhance heat transfer from the heating plate 30 side to the printing plate 14.

Therefore, the printing plate 14 sandwiched between the surface 30B of the heating plate 30 and the endless belt 38 has the surface 3
With a simple structure in which 0B is simply projected in an arc shape, it is heated by the heater 32 while being shielded from the outside air, and when contacted with oxygen, the image forming layer 18 is disturbed by oxygen and polymerization is inhibited. The supply of oxygen is blocked to accelerate the polymerization, and the latent image portion, which is the exposed portion of the curable layer 18A, is sufficiently cured. Therefore, a good relief image is finally obtained on the printing plate 14.

After further heat development, the elution section 4 shown in FIG.
The printing plate 14 conveyed to No. 4 is nipped by the conveyance rollers 56, and the eluate is applied. The printing plate 14 coated with the eluate has an image formation promoting layer 18C and a photosensitive layer 18
B and the non-image area which is the uncured portion of the curable layer 18A are eluted. At this time, the elution reaction is promoted by being rubbed by the brush roll 54. By this elution treatment, the image forming layer 18 is removed except for the cured portion of the curable layer 18A of the printing plate 14, and the surface of the support substrate 16 which has been subjected to the hydrophilic treatment is exposed.

After the elution treatment, the printing plate 14 is sandwiched by the squeeze rollers 58 to squeeze the eluate adhering to the surface thereof, and is then conveyed to the water washing section 62 where the washing water is sprayed from the spray nozzle 64. , The attached eluate is completely removed.

When the printing plate 14 is further conveyed and reaches the gum solution applying section 80, the gum solution is jetted from the spray nozzle 82, and the gum solution is applied to the printing plate 14 for gum treatment. When the printing plate 14 after the gum treatment is conveyed and reaches the drying section 100, the gum liquid attached to the printing plate 14 is dried by the hot air of the dryer 102. by this,
The non-image portion of the printing plate 14 is made hydrophilic.

The printing plate 14 processed by the gum solution applying section 80 is accumulated on the tray 110 located at the right end of the plate making apparatus 10.

Thereafter, through plate inspection work and the like, a notch for positioning at the time of plate hanging is formed by a punch (not shown), and the printing plate 14 having the notch for positioning is formed.
At the end, the plate making process of the printing plate 14 is completed by bending both ends of the printing plate 14 by a predetermined size by a folding device (not shown).

As a result of each treatment as described above, a relief image of a polymer colored in red with good contrast is obtained in the exposed portion of the image forming layer 18, and printing is performed by an offset printing machine using the relief image. As a result, it was possible to obtain a printed matter having a good image quality which was almost the same as that printed by a printing plate normally made from a PS plate using the same original film.

A second embodiment of a plate making apparatus to which the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is applied is shown in FIG. 4, and this embodiment will be described based on this drawing. The same members as those described in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the duplicate description will be omitted.

Similar to the heat developing unit 20 of the first embodiment, the heat developing unit 120 arranged on the left end side of the plate making apparatus 10 is enlarged and shown in FIG. A heating plate 130 formed in a flat plate shape is arranged at a position along the transport path. This heating plate 130
Plate 13 that is the length along the upper surface 130B of the
The 0 length W is shorter than the vertical dimension H of the printing plate 14 which is the length along the transport direction (arrow A direction), and the width direction of the heating plate 130 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2). ) Is larger than the dimension B in the lateral direction of the printing plate 14, which is the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

Inside the heating plate 130, a heater 132, which is a heating source and is made of, for example, nichrome wire, is installed.
A wire extends from a lower surface 130A to a power source (not shown) located outside, and this heater 132 is connected to the power source so that the temperature of the surface 130B of the heating plate 130 is always constant. The heating plate 130 is being heated.

Further, on the upper part of the heating plate 130,
As in the first embodiment, two rotary shafts 34, 36 are arranged, and the endless belt 38 is formed by these four rotary shafts 34, 36.
It is adapted to be rotated around in the direction of arrow D.

The endless belt 3 is attached to the heating plate 130.
Air chamber 1 which has a space inside and faces through 8
42 is located in the air chamber 1 so that the air outside the casing 112 can be heated and sent into the air chamber 142.
A duct 150 in which a fan 146 and a heater 148 are arranged midway is connected to 42. Further, on the lower side of the air chamber 142, the blowout port 14 formed of a large number of small holes.
4 is installed, the hot air sent from the duct 150 is blown onto the endless belt 38, and the endless belt 38 is printed.
Pushing it to the side. That is, these air chambers 142,
The fluid pressure generating means is constituted by the fan 146, the heater 148 and the like.

As described above, hot air is blown to the endless belt 38 from the air outlet 144 of the air chamber 142 facing the heating plate 130 via the endless belt 38, and the endless belt 38 is pressed toward the printing plate 14 side. Therefore, due to the pressure of the hot air, the endless belt 38 is pressed against the printing plate 14 so that the endless belt 38 is evenly adhered to the printing plate 14, and the printing plate 14 is pressed against the heating plate 130 so that the heating plate 130 side. To the printing plate 14 is improved in heat conductivity. Then, the heat of the hot air is transmitted to the printing plate 14 via the endless belt 38, and the printing plate 14 is further heated.

That is, when the exposed printing plate 14 is guided by the guide plate 26 from the upstream-side conveying roller 22 with the image forming layer 18 facing upward, the printing plate 14 becomes
The image forming layer 18 is brought into contact with the endless belt 38 and the supporting substrate 16 side is brought into contact with the heating plate 130, and the surface 130B of the heating plate 130 and the endless belt 3 are contacted.
8 is slid on the surface 130B of the heating plate 130 by the conveying roller 22 in a state of being shielded from outside air by the conveying roller 22 and guided by the guide plate 28 on the downstream side and conveyed from the conveying roller 24 to the downstream side in the conveying direction. Will be done. Then, the printing plate 14 is heated by the heating plate 130 and hot air as described above while being conveyed and moving on the heating plate 130.

In the above embodiment, the casing 1
A fan for agitating air may be provided in the inside 12 to circulate the internal air so as to adjust the temperature inside the casing 112 to a constant temperature.
The open end of the duct 150 may be located inside the casing 112 so that the air 8 can take in the air inside the casing 112, and the fan 148 can circulate the air inside the casing 112. And the heating plates 30, 1
The structure may be such that the casing 30 and the endless belt 38 are not covered with the casing 112.

On the other hand, in the exposure apparatus of the above embodiment, the printing plate 14 was exposed using a tungsten lamp.
For example, a latent image of silver halide corresponding to image information may be formed by exposure with laser light using a semiconductor laser, or another known light source for exposure may be used. Further, the exposure apparatus may be directly connected to the heat developing units 20 and 120 of the plate making apparatus 10 without separately forming the exposure apparatus with the plate making apparatus 10.

In the above embodiments, the printing plate using an aluminum material as a support has been described, but the present invention can be applied to a printing plate using a resin film as a support and other photosensitive materials. Needless to say,
It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to heat treatment of sheet materials other than photosensitive materials.

On the other hand, the present invention is not limited to the heating temperature, the size of the heating plate, etc. described in the examples,
Further, by providing a preheating device in front of the heating plate, it is possible to increase the transportation speed.

[0071]

As described above, the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention has an excellent effect that it can heat a material to be heat treated such as a photosensitive material while blocking oxygen.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic view of a plate making apparatus to which a heat treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the heat developing section of the plate making apparatus to which the heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied, showing a state in which the printing plate is subjected to heat development processing.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic structure of a printing plate used in a plate making apparatus to which a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a heat developing portion of a plate making apparatus to which a heat treatment apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied, showing a state in which a printing plate is subjected to heat development processing.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Plate Making Device 14 Printing Plate (Material to be Heat Treated) 18 Image Forming Layer 20 Thermal Development Part (Heat Treatment Device) 30 Heating Plate 30B Surface 32 Heater (Heating Source) 38 Endless Belt 120 Thermal Development Part (Heat Treatment Device) 130 Heating Plate 130B Surface 132 Heater (heating source) 142 Air chamber (fluid pressure generating means) 144 Fan (fluid pressure generating means) 148 Heater (fluid pressure generating means)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A heating plate, which is located along a transportation path of a material to be heat-treated conveyed and moves, and whose surface side facing the material to be heat-treated protrudes in an arc shape, and a surface of the heating plate which is installed on the heating plate. A heat source for heating the material to be heat treated via a heat source, and an endless belt sandwiching the material to be heat treated between the surface of the heating plate to cover the material to be heat treated and rotating in accordance with the conveyance of the material to be heat treated. A heat treatment apparatus characterized by the above. 2. A heating plate positioned along a conveyance path of the material to be heat-treated which is conveyed and moved, and a heating source which is installed on the heating plate and heats the material to be heat-treated through the surface of the heating plate. An endless belt that sandwiches the material to be heat-treated with the surface of the heating plate to cover the material to be heat-treated and that rotates according to the conveyance of the material to be heat-treated; Fluid pressure generating means for spraying the endless belt and pressing the endless belt toward the material to be heat treated, the heat treatment apparatus.